Kukla's Korner Hockey

• Why should anybody be surprised that Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow might be on the market? There are lots of miles on that chassis from all the punishment he’s taken and dished out, and he just turned 33. He’s still an effective player, but this is the classic case of the Stars checking the level of teams’ interest before Morrow hits the free-agent marketplace on July 1, 2013. He would be the perfect pickup for the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks or Detroit Red Wings, although you would think they would rather move him to an Eastern Conference team. Do you think Brad Richards in New York would be talking him up to Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather? You think the Washington Capitals, in serious need of more leadership, would grab him? In a heartbeat. He’s well-priced at a $4.1-million cap hit for one more year….

• When Ryan Suter says he won’t sign a new deal before the Feb. 27 deadline, it puts the Nashville Predators in an awful spot. They need Suter to make the playoffs, but they lost Dan Hamhuis, also an unrestricted free agent, for virtually nothing in 2010. GM David Poile vowed he wasn’t going to get burned again and wants something tangible for the NHL’s most underrated defenceman. Suter says he’s still a Predator and doesn’t want his contract status to be a distraction, but once he gets to July 1 as a free agent, all bets are off. Watch the teams line up, just as they did for that auction for Dallas centre Brad Richards last summer. Suter wants the Predators to get help offensively if he’s to stay, but Nashville can’t deal, for instance, puck-moving D-man rookie Ryan Ellis to get that forward, not if Suter walks, too. The best Poile could do is get a stocking stuffer for Suter’s rights before the July 1 deadline.

much more and in the column, Mr. Matheson notes Evgeni Malkin leads the league with 7 GWG, but Johan Franzen has 9 so far this season…

He sold his pad in LA less than a year ago. I’d be surprised if he ended up with the Kings again, given the relative depth on D, unless they decide not to resign Mitchell and package Greene for a scorer.